1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium to reduce power consumption of a wireless network device and to enable an extension of a period of use of a wireless portable terminal using an Internet protocol (IP) based wireless network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a general voice-based mobile communication network environment (such as a code division multiple access (CDMA) network), a wireless portable terminal is always connected to a communication network. Accordingly, a user of the wireless portable terminal can always use desired operations of a wireless portable terminal. Therefore, technologies to extend a period of use of a wireless portable terminal and to manage a power supply by protocol definition and the like have been developed.
On the other hand, in an Internet Protocol (IP)-based portable internet environment (such as Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro) and World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)) and a wireless network environment (such as a wireless local area network (WLAN)), a wireless portable terminal is connected to a universal communication network such as the Internet.
FIG. 1 is a view to explain a conventional IP-based wireless network system. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional IP-based wireless network system includes an Internet 100 connected to various types of IP-based devices 110, a wireless repeater 120 connecting a wireless portable terminal 130 with the Internet 100 to enable communication therebetween, and the wireless portable terminal 130 communicating through the wireless repeater 120 with the IP-based devices 110 connected to the Internet 100.
However, if the wireless portable terminal 130 is connected to the Internet 100 through the wireless repeater 120 at all times, the wireless portable terminal 130 may too frequently receive a packet transmitting and receiving requests. Accordingly, since the wireless portable terminal 130 processes and responds to an undesired packet received from the various types of IP-based devices 110, a transmission standard to reduce power consumption (such as a sleep state) cannot be substantially used. Even though the wireless portable terminal 130 enters the sleep state, the sleep state is cancelled if the transmitting or the receiving of a packet occurs. Therefore, an approach to connect the wireless portable terminal 130 to the Internet 100 at all times for communication and to maintain the sleep state for a long time is needed.